This Easy Lasagna recipe is made with oven ready lasagna noodles, jarred tomato sauce and a couple special ingredients that bring LOADS of flavor! Includes step by step recipe video so you can make this simple lasagna at home.

Do you love lasagna as much as we do? Try these Lasagna Roll Ups, this Crockpot Lasagna Soup or this Chocolate Lasagna for dessert!

Sharing this Easy Lasagna recipe here on The Recipe Rebel, I’ll admit, is mostly for me.

That’s right.

I occasionally have purely selfish motives here (and my motives are almost entirely selfish when cheesy pasta is involved ).

The thing is, I realized one day that lasagna is one of those easy dinner ideas I hadn’t yet mastered, because I never use a recipe.

So I have made some amazing lasagna, and I have made some dry lasagnas, and I have made some soupy lasagnas, and I struggled to get consistent results.

I figured the only thing to do was to come up with The Perfect Easy Lasagna Recipe to share here, and that would force me to actually get in my kitchen and figure out the best ratios of sauce to pasta to cheese and then we would all be making amazing lasagnas forevermore.

Just don’t forget the Cheesy Garlic Bread!

What is authentic lasagna?

All I have to say to this is: who’s to say?

Even in Italy, there are so many variations of a classic lasagna recipe depending on where you live, that I don’t know if we can really claim there’s one right way.

Some Lasagnas have a layer of ricotta, cheese and egg mixture layered with meat sauce.

Some Lasagna recipes have cottage cheese (I feel like this is a Canadian prairies thing, but I could be wrong).

Some Lasagna recipes have a layer of bechamel sauce rather than ricotta or cottage cheese.

So this is my interpretation of the best lasagna recipe, and I think it’s pretty delicious! I’d love to hear which way you prefer it in the comments.

Easy Lasagna Ingredients:

• Ground Beef: I choose to use lean ground beef so there is little fat to drain. If you are using regular ground beef, you may want to drain the fat before continuing. Feel free to swap this out with ground turkey, chicken or pork.
• Italian Sausage: Italian sausage is a must here (in my opinion!) because it adds so much flavor without having to add a bunch of different spices. If you swap it out, you’ll want to make sure to compensate by adding additional seasonings.
• Onion: adds depth of flavor that can’t be missed!
• Garlic: opt for freshly minced garlic for the best flavor, but pre-minced works in a pinch.
• Salt and Italian Seasoning: because the sausage adds so much flavor, I keep the rest of our seasonings pretty basic. If you like extra kick, you can add a ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes as well.
• Tomato Pasta Sauce: a simple marinara sauce or similar tomato sauce works great here! Keep in mind the more flavor your sauce has, the more it will add to the lasagna.
• Water: a little bit of water added to our sauce ensures that our lasagna doesn’t get dry as our noodles cook.
• Ricotta cheese: I use Ricotta cheese in this lasagna — you don’t notice the texture and it adds a deliciously mild, creamy flavor.
• Frozen Spinach: I prefer to use frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, because it is already shrunk down considerably and it’s easy to mix into the filling. You can substitute with fresh, finely chopped spinach if you prefer.
• Cream: keeps our Ricotta filling from becoming dry.
• Egg: binds our Ricotta filling to keep it in place.
• Parmesan cheese: adds the best salty, cheesy flavor.
• Mozzarella cheese: a must have! In our cheese filling and a solid layer on top.
• Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles: I love using oven ready lasagna noodles because it takes out one step in an admittedly long process. They make this Easy Lasagna recipe much more convenient! You can use regular lasagna noodles, pre-cooked to al dente, and omit the water in the sauce.

How to make Lasagna:

Here is a quick overview of the recipe! Scroll down to the recipe card for all the details you need.

1. Brown your meat and onion: in this recipe I like to use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage because it adds a ton of flavor without us really having to put in any extra work!
2. Add your spices: adding your spices and garlic before your liquid really brings the flavor to life.

3. Add the tomato sauce and simmer your sauce until the flavors meld together.
4. Make the ricotta cheese mixture: Stir together the ricotta, seasonings, cheese and egg to hold it all together.

5. Layer it up: Start with a little meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish to ensure your noodles don’t stick to the bottom, then top with noodles, ricotta, and meat sauce and then repeat. Dump allllll of that extra mozzarella on the top for good measure!
6. Cover and bake: Covering the lasagna with aluminum foil to bake ensures that the moisture stays inside and cooks the noodles. We will uncover once we add the cheese and let it sit at room temperature for some time before slicing to help it set well.

Variations on this Easy Lasagna Recipe:

And because there are about 1 million different ways to make lasagna, here are a few tips to get it just the way you like:

• You can swap the ricotta for cottage cheese and change nothing else at all. See how easy that was! Simply mix it up with the cheese just like you would ricotta.
• Can you make lasagna without ricotta or cottage cheese? Absolutely! You can actually skip it altogether or use a Bechamel Sauce instead! (Just don’t tell anyone)
• Want to add extra veggies? Go for it! I often do, but I wanted to keep this lasagna recipe as simple as possible to start. Finely chopped carrots, celery, mushrooms, kale or spinach would be great, and you can add them when you’re cooking the meat.
• Don’t have an Italian sausage? You can use all ground beef or sub for ground turkey or pork, but you will want to increase the seasonings somewhat.

What’s the correct layering for lasagna?

To prepare your pan for your lasagna layers, it’s always a good idea to spray with non stick spray and then spread a bit of the red sauce in the bottom to keep the oven ready noodles moist and prevent them from sticking. From there, this is the best way to layer your lasagna:

1. Noodles
2. Ricotta cheese mixture
3. Red sauce
4. Repeat until all layers are done, then add your mozzarella on top!

Make ahead Lasagna method:

Lasagna is the perfect meal prep or make ahead meal! Just follow these steps:

1. Prepare your lasagna up to the point of baking, leaving the mozzarella cheese off for now.
2. Cool for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, then cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate up to 2 days.
3. Continue with the baking instructions, adding a splash of water around the edges if the noodles appear to have soaked up a lot of the sauce.

How to freeze lasagna:

One of the best things about a good homemade lasagna is how easy it is to make ahead, and it still tastes just as amazing when you bake it later!

You can wrap and refrigerate the lasagna for 3-4 days before baking, or you can freeze it to enjoy it even later.

To freeze lasagna before baking, you can add the cheese before freezing or just before baking — I prefer to add it during the last ten minutes so it doesn’t get stuck to my foil!

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, or use an airtight, freezer safe lid. Freeze up to 3 months before baking.

To bake, let thaw at room temperature throughout the day – 8 hours – or overnight in the refrigerator. Bake for 1-1.5 hours until heated through. Top with cheese and bake until melted.

What to serve with this Easy Lasagna Recipe:

Lasagna is a favorite here, and we love to serve it with a side of Garlic Bread, a basket of Homemade Breadsticks or some Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe and Garlic Butter.

Want something green to serve with it? Try these Roasted Green Beans, Broccoli Casserole or Easy Broccoli Salad!

More baked pasta recipes you’ll love!

• Try this Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake if you love a creamy white sauce.
• Try this Rigatoni Pasta Bake if you love lasagna flavors but don’t feel like layering!
• Go for this Baked Mostaccioli Pasta if you love tomato-based pastas.
• Choose this Cheese Cannelloni Recipe if you want to impress your family!

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Easy Lasagna

This Easy Lasagna recipe is made with oven ready lasagna noodles, jarred tomato sauce and a couple special ingredients that bring LOADS of flavor! Includes step by step recipe video so you can make this simple lasagna at home.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 493cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage loose packed or casings removed (5 sausages)
• 1 onion finely diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3.5 cups jarred tomato pasta sauce about 1.5 jars
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups Ricotta cheese 450g
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry (100g)
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese divided
• 12 oven ready lasagna noodles

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large pan, cook ground beef, Italian sausage and onion until browned, stirring often. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, drain it before continuing.
• Stir in garlic, salt and Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute.
• Stir in pasta sauce and water. Remove from heat to cool slightly. (This can also be made in advance and refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months)
• In a medium bowl, stir together Ricotta, spinach, cream, egg and Parmesan and 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if baking right away) and lightly grease a deep 9×13" pan.
• Spread just enough meat sauce in the bottom of the pan to create a thin layer.
• Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread the noodles with ⅓ of the Ricotta mixture, and top that with ¼ of the meat sauce.
• Repeat layers 3 times, and on the last layer of noodles spread only the remaining meat sauce.
• Lightly grease a piece of tin foil or oven safe lid and place over top of the lasagna. Bake for 40-45 minutes until noodles are tender (this can take up to 60 minutes, depending on your brand of pasta) — it will still be juicy at this point and that's okay.
• Remove the foil and sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes until melted and broil for 2 minutes if desired to brown the cheese.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes — there should not be any liquid remaining on the edges after this rest. Slice and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 493cal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 1252mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1489IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Easy Lasagna Recipe appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This Lasagna Roll Ups recipe gets me excited for many reasons!

Lasagna is such a traditional comfort food, and you know we love our comfort food at The Recipe Rebel!

We’ve got it all here, from traditional lasagna with my Easy Lasagna Recipe, to Crockpot Lasagna, and Crockpot Lasagna Soup, to this Healthier One Pot Skillet Lasagna too!

These Lasagna Rolls are easy to make and great for getting the kids involved — they love the spreading and rolling!

It’s a great recipe to meal prep for the week ahead, so you can get ahead of the game on Sunday for a busy start to the week.

Pair it with some Cheesy Garlic Bread for the ultimate comfort food dinner!

For more delicious one-pot pasta dishes, check out this One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta with Bacon, my Creamy Gemelli Pasta recipe, and Gnocchi with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes. 

Ingredients Needed:

For Meat Sauce

• Beef: use lean ground beef for the best flavor. 
• Sausage meat: ground Italian sausage will give you a lot of extra flavor here. Use mild or spicy, according to your preference. If it’s in casings, remove it from the casings.
• Onion & Garlic: freshly chopped onion and freshly minced garlic will add a fragrant, savory flavor. 
• Seasoning: use a combination of salt and Italian seasoning to season the meat mixture. 
• Sauce: I used a jarred tomato pasta sauce to save some time here — choose one you love that has great flavor!

For Ricotta Filling

• Spinach: thaw frozen spinach and squeeze it dry with paper towels. You can also use finely chopped fresh spinach if that’s what you have.
• Cream: heavy cream is best here to get the ricotta filling to a good, creamy consistency. 
• Egg: help to bind the ricotta filling. 
• Cheese: a combination of ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese for a truly cheesy flavor. 
• Lasagna Noodles: obviously! We cook them and roll the cheese up inside.

How to Make Lasagna Roll Ups

This recipe has a few steps but it’s worth it! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Make meat sauce: Cook ground beef, Italian sausage, and onion until browned. Stir in the garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning. Stir in the pasta sauce and water.
2. Make ricotta mixture: In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, spinach, cream, egg, Parmesan, and some mozzarella cheese.

3. Cook lasagna: Cook lasagna noodles just until al dente.
4. Assemble roll-ups: Lay out the lasagna noodles on a cutting board and spread each with ricotta filling.

5. Make layers: Spread some of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan to create a thin layer. Then roll the lasagna sheets up tightly and place the rolls on the meat mixture in the baking dish.
6. Add toppings and bake: Top with the remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, then bake until done.

Lasagna Roll-Ups FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Make extra Lasagna Noodles. Make a couple of extra sheets of pasta, as some of them may break while you’re boiling them. 
• Cool your noodles: running the cooked pasta under cold water will help to cool them quickly and prevent them from sticking together.

Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe Variations

• Add extra veggies. You can add in loads of veggies to get those nutrients. Lasagna is so tomatoey and creamy, you can pack a whole lot in there without much detection (I’ve got you, Moms!) Try some chopped mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or parboiled carrots, to name a few — you can saute them with the meat before you add the sauce.
• Cottage cheese or Boursin: You can use a cottage cheese filling if you prefer, or try swapping the ricotta with a garlic herb soft white cheese like Boursin, but I really like the creamy flavor of ricotta here!
• Garnish. Top this dish with chopped fresh basil, fresh parsley, or green onions before serving for extra fresh flavor. 

Serving Suggestions

These easy Lasagna Roll-Ups are perfect for weeknight dinners all on their own, but we love having some bread on the side and sometimes even extra veggies!

Try my Cheesy Garlic Bread, classic Garlic Bread, or these Homemade Breadsticks.

If you want more veggies try these Green Beans with Bacon, Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli, or Roasted Carrots. 

More Easy Pasta Dinner Recipes to Try

Dinner

Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta recipe

Pasta

BEST Hamburger Helper Recipe

Dinner

Easy Lasagna Recipe

Dinner

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

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Lasagna Roll Ups

Lasagna Roll Ups is a fun twist on a regular lasagna with a meat sauce and ricotta cheese spinach filling, rolled in lasagna sheets!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 12 roll ups

Calories 400cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• ½ lb lean ground beef
• ½ lb Italian sausage (ground or casings removed) 5 sausages
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 cups jarred tomato pasta sauce (about 1.5 jars)
• ¼ cup water

Ricotta filling

• 2 cups Ricotta cheese (450 grams)
• ½ cup frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry (100 grams)
• ¼ cup cream
• 1 egg
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese divided

Lasagna Roll Ups

• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Meat Sauce

• In a large pan, cook ground beef, Italian sausage, and onion until browned, stirring often. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, drain it before continuing.
• Stir in the garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning, and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the pasta sauce and water. Remove from heat to cool slightly. (This can also be made in advance and refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months)

Ricotta Filling

• In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, spinach, cream, egg, Parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Lasagna Roll Ups

• Cook lasagna noodles just until al dente in a large pot of boiling water that’s been salted.
• Drain and run under cold water to cool quickly.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (if baking right away) and lightly grease a deep 9×13″ pan.
• Spread just enough meat sauce on the bottom of the pan to create a thin layer.
• Lay out cooked lasagna noodles on a cutting board and spread each with ricotta filling (there should be enough that all the noodles get an even layer of cheese) (*Note: this is actually easiest to do with your hands, but don’t tell anyone I said that)
• Roll up tightly and place in a baking dish. Repeat until all lasagna noodles are used.
• Top with the remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
• Bake for 15–20 minutes until cheese is beginning to brown (if you prep this ahead and bake from the refrigerator, it will take longer to heat through).
• Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Meat: you can substitute almost any ground meat for the beef and sausage here, but keep in mind that the sausage adds significant flavor. Try ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey, but you may want to add extra seasoning for flavor.
• Tomato pasta sauce: you’ll want to find a seasoned tomato sauce, like a marinara sauce (not plain), which will add additional flavor to the sauce.
• Ricotta: no ricotta? Experiment! Try some herb-and-garlic cream cheese or Boursin in its place.
• Spinach: I like to use frozen, thawed spinach, but you can also use finely chopped fresh spinach.

 

Prep Ahead

This recipe can easily be made ahead and stored for later.

• Refrigerator: Make the recipe completely, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking and serving. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
• Freezer: Make completely, cover, and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw completely before baking.

Storage

• Store: Store baked and cooled lasagna roll-ups in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered with foil in the oven until cooked through.
• Freeze: I’d recommend freezing these lasagna roll-ups before baking them. Defrost thoroughly before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 400cal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1030mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1463IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 301mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Lasagna Roll Ups appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This Crockpot Lasagna Soup recipe is full of flavor! It has a tomato base, made with Italian sausage, lasagna noodles, and lots of Italian herbs and cheeses. It can also be made in the Instant Pot!

January always feels like the longest and the coldest month to me — last year I think we had FIVE extreme cold, no-school days just in January alone!

While I’m hoping for a warmer January this year, I’m definitely prepared for the cold with this easy Lasagna Soup recipe! It’s the perfect comfort food for cold days.

I have one soup hater in my house, much to my dismay. But even my seven-year-old, who normally turns up her nose at any kind of soup, is in love with this hearty, meaty, cheesy soup!

While I love a Traditional Lasagna, this easy recipe is a great way to prepare dinner for the whole family without any fuss.

Serve it with Garlic Bread or Homemade Breadsticks for dunking and a side of greens for a winning weeknight meal!

If you love this slow cooker lasagna soup, try this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Noodle Soup, this Easy Minestrone Soup, or even this One Pot Rigatoni Pasta Bake!

Ingredients Needed:

There are a few key ingredients in this lasagna soup that make it irresistible.

My selective eaters love the curly lasagna noodles, and with a mild Italian sausage (or sub-ground beef if you prefer less spice), tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian herbs, and lots of cheese, they always ask for seconds of this dish!

• Sausage: Italian sausage with the casings removed.
• Onion & Garlic: freshly chopped onion and freshly minced garlic is best to add a great depth of savory flavor to this soup.
• Seasonings: a mix of Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
• Broth: I always use a low-sodium chicken broth to better control the salt content of the dish, you can use a beef broth if you have it to hand instead.
• Tomatoes: we’ll be using canned diced tomatoes as well as some tomato pasta sauce for a rich tomato flavor.
• Pasta: use short pasta or broken lasagna noodles for this soup.
• Spinach: fresh spinach adds a fresh flavor and extra nutrients, use other greens if you prefer.
• Topping: ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or oregano.

How to Make Crockpot Lasagna Soup

This delicious recipe is made with simple ingredients and is so easy to make. Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Cook sausage: Sauté the Italian sausage and onion until browned then add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Put in crockpot: Pour into crockpot and add the broth, tomatoes, and pasta sauce.
3. Cover and cook: Once it has cooked for several hours, stir in the pasta and let cook to al dente.
4. Add spinach and serve: Stir in spinach and serve with cheese and fresh parsley as desired.

Crockpot Lasagna Soup FAQs

How to make this Lasagna Soup in the Instant Pot:

Making this Lasagna Soup in the Instant Pot instead of the Crockpot couldn’t be easier! The best part is that you don’t need a separate pan to cook the meat.

1. Cook Italian sausage and onion on saute in the Instant Pot until browned. Stir in the spices and seasonings.
2. Turn Instant Pot off, and add broth. Scrape the bottom to remove any browned bits and stir them in.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spinach, and noodles.
4. Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
5. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then open and serve!

Tips and Notes

• Swap the meat. Italian sausage (mild or spicy), lean ground beef, or even ground turkey or chicken would work well here, and you can choose any of them depending on your tastes and your lifestyle. I prefer Italian sausage because of the extra flavor it adds!
• Choose your pasta. White or whole-grain lasagna noodles will work just as well in this Lasagna Soup — just keep in mind that whole-grain pasta will take longer to cook and may absorb additional liquid.
• Plan ahead. The incredible flavor in this soup comes from adequate time simmering away, so this is one crockpot soup recipe that can be left cooking all day, and all you have to do when you come home is stir in the noodles and wait until they are tender.

Crockpot Lasagna Soup Variations

• Gluten-Free. Substitute the pasta for gluten-free pasta or lasagna noodles: you will want to cook these in a separate pot of boiling water and stir them in at the end as they tend to disintegrate more quickly.
• Dairy-Free. Use dairy-free or vegan cheese (or omit it altogether).
• Veggies. Use vegetable broth, omit the meat, and add in extra vegetables like sliced zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers for a vegetarian lasagna soup.
• Spice it up. Bump up the spice by adding a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes, or by choosing spicy Italian sausage
• Low fat. Lower the fat by choosing Italian turkey sausage or another low-fat option.
• Fresh herbs. If you don’t have fresh spinach, simply use some fresh basil instead, or toss in a handful of frozen spinach at the end that has been thawed and squeezed dry.

Serving Suggestions

I always serve bread with soups, but there are so many to choose from! Try this amazing Garlic Bread, these Homemade Breadsticks, my super easy No Knead Artisan Bread or these Whole Wheat Rolls.

Add some more nutrients to your meal with some veggies like these quick and easy Air Fryer Green Beans, these Roasted Carrots, Air Fryer Broccoli, or a mix of Roast Vegetables.

More Soup Recipes to Try

Dinner

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Dinner

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

Dinner

Easy Taco Soup recipe

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Crockpot Lasagna Soup (quick & easy!)

This Crockpot Lasagna Soup recipe is full of flavor and can be made in the crockpot or Instant Pot! With a tomato base, it's made with Italian sausage, lasagna noodles, and lots of Italian herbs and cheeses.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 674cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 lb mild Italian sausage casings removed
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 398 ml canned diced tomatoes Italian style (14oz)
• 1 ½ cups jarred tomato pasta sauce
• 2 cups short pasta or 8 broken lasagna noodles of about 160 grams
• 1½ cups fresh spinach* or sub ⅓ cup frozen, thawed and squeezed dry
• ricotta shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a medium skillet, cook Italian sausage and onion over medium-high heat until sausage is browned, stirring often.
• Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour into a 4-6 quart crockpot.
• Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta sauce. Cover and cook on low for 3-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours (everything is cooked — this is just so it heats through and the flavors come together).
• Turn the slow cooker to high, open the lid, stir in the pasta, and cook for 30 minutes or until tender. (OPTIONAL: you can also cook the pasta separately if you prefer your noodles to stay at al dente).
• Just before serving, stir in spinach. Serve with cheese and fresh parsley as desired.

Video

Notes

• Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts quickly, so we add it at the end. If you’re using frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze some liquid out of it, then you can add it with the tomato sauce or at the end, shortly before serving.

Storage:

• Store: Store leftover lasagna soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Freeze this soup in a freezer-safe container or in freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Fully thaw before reheating, and ensure it is cooked through and piping hot before serving. Frozen and thawed pasta is often softer than when it is freshly cooked. If you like your pasta with a bite, then this may not be the best option for you. If you prefer, you can cook the pasta separately and add them in when you want to serve the soup. You can easily freeze any leftovers and add the pasta later if you do this.

Nutrition

Serving: 469grams | Calories: 674cal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1766mg | Potassium: 1140mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1581IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Crockpot Lasagna Soup (quick & easy!) appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.

This healthier Skillet Lasagna has been a long time favorite on The Recipe Rebel, and it is finally getting an update!

As much as we love this Easy Lasagna Recipe (with oven ready noodles that save us a step!) and this Crockpot Lasagna (made with 6 ingredients!), this skillet lasagna still has a place in our hearts because of how much good stuff is in it!

It is a family and reader favorite around here for so many reasons!

• It’s made in one pot, which means easy clean up!
• It’s made healthier, with lots of veggies, ground turkey, and a homemade tomato sauce
• It is cozy and comforting — I love getting my carbs, my cheese and my veggies all in one dish!
• It’s made in 30 minutes, so it is totally doable any night of the week!

Ingredients and Substitutions for this recipe:

• Ground turkey: you can substitute ground chicken, ground pork, or lean ground beef. You can even leave it out entirely, and just add in extra veggies!
• Vegetables: I’ve used vegetables we enjoy and ones that pair well with these Italian flavors. You can add more, leave them out, or substitute for others your family enjoys! Mushrooms and spinach would be more great additions!
• Tomato sauce: I use plain tomato sauce (no salt, no sugar, no seasonings) or crushed tomatoes, but you can always use a jar of tomato pasta sauce (with salt and seasonings) if that’s all you have! Keep in mind you may want to reduce the salt and seasonings if you do.
• Lasagna noodles: you can substitute for oven-ready lasagna noodles, just keep in mind that your lasagna may be a touch saucier, as they are not supposed to absorb as much liquid. It will still be totally delicious and definitely not soup, I promise
• Cheese: you can use any cheese you want! You can swap it for a low fat variety, or add in some Parmesan for that sharp and tangy flavor we all love.

More one pot pastas you’ll love!

• Easy Hamburger Helper
• One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
• One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
• Healthier One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Me and pasta and cheese? I’m not sure when the love affair began but it’s not likely to end anytime soon. So I sneak in all the veggies I can to beef up that nutritional value!

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Healthier One Pot Skillet Lasagna: a 30 Minute Meal!

This Healthier Skillet Lasagna is loaded with sneaky veggies, ground chicken or turkey, and a homemade tomato sauce making it an easy, healthy dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 429cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (or chicken or lean ground beef)
• 1 bell pepper chopped
• ½ onion finely diced
• 1 large carrot shredded
• 1 small zucchini shredded
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (or plain tomato sauce – 398ml)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 250 grams dry lasagna noodles (uncooked) about 8.75oz (9 regular noodles)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• In a large skillet, cook ground turkey over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until starting to brown.
• Add pepper and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until turkey is browned and veggies are almost tender. Add carrot, zucchini, salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano and pepper flakes, stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, broth and broken lasagna noodles and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, stirring often, until lasagna noodles are just tender (or to desired tenderness) — about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

*One serving is ⅕ of the total recipe, or approximately 388 grams.

Nutrition

Serving: 388grams | Calories: 429cal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1048mg | Potassium: 958mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3206IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Healthier One Pot Skillet Lasagna appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This Crockpot Lasagna is one of those recipes that I didn’t actually expect to be as good as I hoped it would be, and we were blown away by the results!

With just 6 ingredients (what?!) and a few hours in the slow cooker, it is the perfect weeknight meal or Sunday dinner.

I wasn’t sure how lasagna noodles would do in the slow cooker for several hours.

Normally when I make pasta in the crockpot (like this Crockpot Chicken and Noodles or this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese), I add the pasta just for the last 15 or 20 minutes so they are not overcooked.

But since lasagna noodles are larger and they are stacked, this recipe comes together perfectly in just 3 or 4 hours — no mushy noodles, just big flavor.

And, yes, I’ve stuck with the basics because this Lasagna is part of my Six Ingredient Suppers series, but I’ve included tons of additions and ways to make it your own down below.

But it is incredibly delicious and comforting just the way it is

Variations and substitutions for Crockpot Lasagna:

If you’ve been around here before, you know I believe in making things your own and try to include helpful tips on ways to make most recipes just the way you like them.

Obviously, I haven’t tested all of these substitutions but I do cook all day, every day so I’ve learned a thing or two

Can I swap out the Italian sausage?

The Italian sausage is responsible for a lot of the flavor in this Crockpot Lasagna, since I kept it to 6 ingredients.

You can substitute the Italian sausage for turkey sausage (for a lighter recipe), or ground beef, chicken or turkey.

If you opt for unseasoned ground meat, you will want to add additional seasoning when you are browning it.

Can I use oven ready lasagna noodles?

I haven’t tested this recipe with oven ready noodles, so I can’t make any promises.

My best guess is that it would work fine, but you may want to check the lasagna for doneness a little sooner.

Can I add ricotta, cottage cheese or beschamel?

Absolutely!

I make my classic Easy Lasagna Recipe with a layer of Ricotta cheese, but I know many others love cottage cheese or beschamel.

However you love to make your regular oven baked lasagna, you can do the same here.

Simply whip up your favorite addition (see my Easy Lasagna Recipe above for a ricotta mixture recipe), and spread it in the layers as you normally would.

Can I add extra vegetables?

Definitely!

There are lots of ways to add extra vegetables here.

Feel free to stir some shredded or finely chopped vegetables into the sausage as it browns, or stir in some chopped spinach just before layering.

Tips for making the best Slow Cooker Lasagna:

• Lightly grease your crockpot: we don’t want any of that deliciousness to stick!
• Cook on low: I really try to avoid using my crockpot on high unless I have to. Because the outer edges will already cook more quickly on low, I avoid using high because it may cause your edges to burn before the inside is cooked through.
• Don’t stress over perfect layers: you will have to break your noodles to fit, and it won’t be perfect. Don’t worry! It’s okay if they overlap a bit, or they don’t cover completely. As the noodles cook, they will expand and cover and mishaps
• Broil, if you want to: I know there are a lot of you out there who love a good crispy browned cheese crust. Most slow cooker crocks are oven safe, so you can broil the cheese for a few minutes before serving if desired (but be sure to check first!).

More easy crockpot meals you’ll love!

• Crockpot Meatloaf — total comfort food!
• Crockpot Pineapple Chicken — also made with 6 ingredients!
• Crockpot Whole Chicken — perfect for meal prepping!
• Crockpot Potato Soup — rich and creamy!
• Crock Pot Pulled Pork — so juicy and flavorful!

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Crockpot Lasagna

This Crockpot Lasagna is made with just SIX ingredients and no precooking the noodles! An easy crockpot meal you can set and forget.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 570cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 375 grams Italian sausage (mild or spicy, .75lb)
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 2 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 9 lasagna noodles (not oven ready)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook Italian sausage and onion until completely browned.
• Stir in pasta sauce and salt.
• Lightly grease a 2.5-4 quart slow cooker (not the deep round kind, but an oval one with more surface area).
• Spread a little bit of sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker to prevent sticking.
• Place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the slow cooker, breaking to fit (save any broken pieces to fill in gaps later). Spread with ⅓ sauce, and top with ⅓ mozzarella and ⅓ Parmesan.
• Repeat layers two more times.
• Put the lid on and cook on low for 2.5-3 hours, until noodles are softened.
• Turn the slow cooker off and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 570cal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1517mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 803IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 365mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Crockpot Lasagna appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This White Chicken Skillet Lasagna is made with SIX ingredients in ONE pot! It’s creamy and hearty and the perfect comfort food. Full step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.

Love a traditional lasagna too? Try my Easy Lasagna Recipe, this Crockpot Lasagna Soup or this Slow Cooker Lasagna!

We’re moving along with another Six Ingredient Supper (<– see all of them over here!) today, and it’s a reader favorite!

This Slow Cooker White Chicken Lasagna was my first Six Ingredient Supper I shared back in January, and it was a big hit with all of you!

For that reason, I knew I had to create a skillet version for those days when you just don’t have a few hours to make dinner

This White Chicken Lasagna is a favorite with the kids — it’s creamy and hearty and we love how it’s so customizable!

It’s also great if you have a big batch of this Crockpot Shredded Chicken or this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken cooked up — perfect for busy weeknights!

Tips for making the best White Chicken Skillet Lasagna:

• Be a little flexible: when making a one pot pasta, you can change things up a lot because you are constantly monitoring the cooking process. So keep an eye on the pot, stir regularly, and use your instincts to tell you what it needs.
• Add more liquid if necessary: you might find that the liquid is absorbed more quickly sometimes than others. There are a lot of factors that play into this, including the type of liquid you’re using (heavier cream will thicken more quickly and you’ll need more of it), how much you have the lid on or off, and the type of noodles you’re using. If you notice it needs a little more, add a little more, gradually.
• Use a great pan: the most infuriating thing for me in the kitchen is those really awful pans. We all have some that just cook better than others — they don’t stick, they heat evenly, they are nice and deep. When you’re cooking a lot of one pot meals, spring for a great, large stove-to-oven skillet that you will love cooking in.
• Break your pasta into smaller pieces: the smaller the pieces, the more evenly they will cook, and the less chance there is that they’ll stick together.

Can I use oven ready lasagna noodles?

Most one pot pastas are actually extremely customizable, because you are almost constantly monitoring the cooking process and it’s easy to adapt on the go.

For that reason, yes, you can definitely use oven ready noodles if that’s all you have. You may find they absorb liquid differently, or they cook a little quicker, but as long as you know that you may need to adjust the liquid on the fly then they will work perfectly fine!

Variations and substitutions for this white chicken lasagna:

Because this White Chicken Lasagna is part of my 6 Ingredient Suppers series, I stuck to the basics. But I always love to add all the ways you can mix things up, because these recipes are so easy to make your own!

• Add vegetables: you can add them with the chicken, or with the pasta, or right at the end, it really just depends on how long they take to cook and how tender you like them. Vegetables like broccoli and spinach are added closer to the end because they turn to mush quickly. Mushrooms you may want to saute with the chicken. Carrots and peppers take longer and you may want to add them close to the beginning.
• Swap out the chicken for Italian sausage, smoked sausage, or ground turkey.
• Add some heat: make this a cajun chicken lasagna by adding some cajun seasoning.
• Switch up the herbs: use what you have, add a spoonful of pesto, or rummage through the spice drawer and get a little creative with what you find.
• Swap out the pasta: you can use any cut of pasta in here, but you will want to use roughly the same weight of pasta (250g), since we are not measuring lasagna noodles by volume, and keep in mind the cook time and amount of liquid required may be different.

More 6 Ingredient Suppers you’ll love!

• Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaf and Roasted Potatoes
• Instant Pot Goulash
• Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
• Taco Casserole

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White Chicken Skillet Lasagna

This White Chicken Skillet Lasagna is made with SIX ingredients in ONE pot! It's creamy and hearty and the perfect comfort food.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 535cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 10 lasagna noodles, broken (250g)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat.
• Add chicken breasts and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned on one side (they should release easily from the pan when ready).
• Flip chicken and add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before shredding.
• To the chicken broth in the pan, add the cream and Italian seasoning. Stir.
• Add in broken lasagna noodles and stir well. Bring back up to a low simmer.
• Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender, stirring every few minutes.
• When noodles are cooked, stir chicken back in and top with shredded cheese. Cover and let melt before serving.

Video

Notes

*You can skip the browning of the chicken if you prefer or you are short on time — it just adds flavor. To skip, place the chicken in the skillet with the broth and simmer on medium-low until cooked through.

Nutrition

Calories: 535cal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 387mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1012IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 1mg

The post White Chicken Skillet Lasagna appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This White Chicken Lasagna with Ham and Spinach is the ULTIMATE comfort food! Made with a lighter Alfredo sauce, it’s decadent enough for the holidays and still loaded with healthy ingredients. 

I just kind of love this time of year.

There’s something just so magical about September – December, with the back-to-school and back-to-routine excitement, October with Thanksgiving and Halloween, and I’ll be honest from October to December is all about Christmas for me.

I love Christmas, probably because there are so many reasons and opportunities to gather around a table of good food with friends and family.

Because really — what is great food without great people to share it with??

We love all the comfort foods: from this Rigatoni Pasta Bake, to this Perfect Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe, or this cozy Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings.

So here we are in October, and I’m bringing you something that will be a show-stopper on your holiday tables, but is just as perfect for a weeknight, weekend, anytime dinner for the family.

Why we love this White Chicken Lasagna:

This White Chicken Lasagna is basically all of my favorite components of a main dish right here:

• pasta
• cheese
• a creamy white (healthier!) Alfredo sauce
• ham
• chicken

I chose to make my own Alfredo sauce, even though you could use a store bought variety, because it allows me to control things like salt, sugar, and fat a bit more and add in extra goodies like spinach.

How to prep this White Lasagna ahead:

• The sauce can easily be made ahead of time (up to 4 or 5 days even, depending on the freshness of your ingredients) and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble
• Assemble the whole lasagna ahead: this is my favorite hack! Assembling the lasagna a day or two before you need to bake it allows time for the oven ready noodles to soften and it shaves 20 minutes off the bake time! When I do this, I cover and bake for 25-30 minutes, then uncover and brown.
• Have your chicken and ham chopped and cheese shredded: if you need to, you can even buy canned or precooked, chopped chicken (or a rotisserie chicken!) and shredded cheese. We all need a quick win some days!

Lasagna is one of my ultimate comfort foods. Isn’t it everyone’s?? The presentation, with the layers of pasta, sauce, cheese and meat, is so pretty and takes this dish right to center stage on a crowded holiday table.

I would love to hear how you guys make things a little easier on yourselves when you’re planning meals around the holidays?

Any great make ahead tips or things you keep on hand to help with meal prep? Ideas for treats that look extra special but are easy to pull off? I’d love to hear about them!

Note: this post was originally sponsored by Catelli pasta, and although I have tested this recipe with other brands, Catelli still makes the best oven-ready lasagna noodles! Other brands can take up to 15-20 minutes longer in the oven.

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White Chicken Lasagna with Ham and Spinach

This White Chicken Lasagna with Ham and Spinach is the ULTIMATE comfort food! Made with a lighter Alfredo sauce, it’s decadent enough for Thanksgiving or Christmas and still loaded with healthy ingredients.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Calories 324cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

Alfredo Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 1/4 cup frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Lasagna

• 12 Catelli Express oven-ready lasagna noodles (uncooked)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• 2 chicken breasts cooked, chopped or shredded
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided

Instructions

Alfredo Sauce

• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute. Whisk in flour until completely combined.
• Whisk in broth and continue cooking over medium heat until sauce has thickened. Gradually stir in milk, whisking and cooking each time until thickened. Stir in spinach and Parmesan and set aside.

Lasagna

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
• Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, then top with 3 lasagna noodles, ¼ of the sauce, ⅓ of the chicken, ⅓ of the ham and ⅓ cup Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice so that you have 3 layers of 3 lasagna noodles each.
• Top with remaining 3 lasagna noodles, remaining ¼ sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
• Cover with a lightly greased piece of foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until noodles are tender (they will absorb the sauce and expand as they cook!).
• Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing into 9 pieces and serving.

Video

Notes

I poach my own chicken breasts for this recipe. To do this, simply heat about 1″ of chicken broth in a medium pan to a simmer over medium heat. Add two raw chicken breasts, cover, and simmer (don’t boil) for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Let cool enough to chop.

Nutrition

Calories: 324cal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1084IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 1mg

The post White Chicken Lasagna with Ham and Spinach appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

Happy January!

We’re kicking off a brand new series today — my 6 Ingredient Suppers series, where I’m going to be bringing you easy, totally manageable dinners with 6 ingredients (plus a few very basic “free” ingredients) that my family loves and yours will, too!

Every month will have a different theme, and January’s theme is Six Ingredient Slow Cooker Suppers!

I’m also running a giveaway every month in my Facebook group, centred around the theme of the series.

So overall, there is going to be lots of fun stuff going on, and a lot more easy family dinner ideas hitting the blog and your inbox.

Crockpot White Chicken Lasagna

We’re launching this series with one of my favorites recipes that I tested for 6 Ingredient Slow Cooker month — this White Chicken Lasagna that’s made completely in the crockpot, it’s super creamy and flavorful!

I love a traditional lasagna (if you do too, check out my Easy Lasagna recipe!), but there is so much prep involved, and so many ingredients, and even my easier no boil lasagna recipe ends up being a once-in-a-while kind of meal.

If you have a little more time, you might enjoy this Taco Lasagna Recipe or this White Chicken Lasagna with Ham and Spinach.

But this crockpot lasagna comes together with just minutes of prep (one of the bonuses of only using 6 ingredients!), and is ready in a few hours.

With pasta, we’re just not going to be able to let it cook all day, so if you work out of the house, this might be a great recipe for a busy weekend or Sunday lunch.

I love quick slow cooker recipes like this for days when the kids have activities after school because I can get it started before they get home, and be free for driving to lessons or homework or whatever else is needed!

Want an easy lasagna recipe ready in 30 minutes? Try my healthier Skillet Lasagna!

Can I make this White Chicken Lasagna on the stove top?

You can absolutely make this on the stove top if you prefer, without even changing the recipe much.

You can place all of the ingredients except for the cheese into a large, deep skillet. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked, the noodles are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid.

Top with cheese, cover and let melt, then serve.

Variations on this Crockpot White Chicken Lasagna:

Obviously, because we’re sticking with a simple version with only a few ingredients, there are lots of ways to mix this up!

• Add in more veggies: mushrooms, broccoli, or peas would be great in here, but you may want to add them close to the end of the cook time.
• Only have plain cream cheese? That’s totally fine! You may want to add in a half teaspoon of garlic herb seasoning or Italian seasoning to the recipe.
• Use an Italian cheese blend for even more flavor.
• Swap the chicken breast for smoked sausage, or leave it out for a vegetarian version.
• Swap the noodles: I wanted to use traditional lasagna noodles for this white lasagna, but you can absolutely use short pasta instead — it will cook slightly faster, so check after 15 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. You will want to substitute the noodles for roughly an equivalent weight of other pasta.

More crockpot pasta recipes you’ll love:

• Crockpot Chicken and Noodles recipe
• Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe
• Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe
• Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe + VIDEO

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Crockpot White Chicken Lasagna

This Crockpot White Chicken Lasagna is just SIX ingredients, so creamy and flavorful, and everything cooks in one pot! With step by step recipe video down below.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 414cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 1 large)
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup herb and garlic cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 lasagna noodles broken (230g)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• In a 2.5-4 quart crockpot, add chicken, broth, spinach, and cream cheese.
• Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until chicken shreds easily. Shred chicken and stir well to incorporate the cream cheese into the sauce.
• Stir in broken lasagna noodles, cover and turn crockpot to high. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
• Stir, working to get the top lasagna noodles down into the liquid. Press to submerge as much of the noodles as possible. Top with cheese, cover, and cook on high for 15 minutes or until noodles are al dente. (If you want to thicken the sauce further, you can add a small amount of corn starch combined with water at this time)
• Turn the crockpot off and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 414cal | Carbohydrates: 45.27g | Protein: 29.22g | Fat: 12.42g | Saturated Fat: 6.35g | Cholesterol: 67.08mg | Sodium: 355.31mg | Potassium: 501.67mg | Fiber: 2.17g | Sugar: 2.46g | Vitamin A: 1865.39IU | Vitamin C: 1.39mg | Calcium: 194.5mg | Iron: 1.55mg

The post Crockpot White Chicken Lasagna appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

This Taco Lasagna recipe couldn’t be easier! It’s made with oven ready lasagna noodles, seasoned taco ground beef, salsa and cheese! It’s perfect for weekend meal prep and freezer friendly.

How are you guys doing? Are you hanging in there?

With Thanksgiving, Halloween, game day parties, school pick up and drop off and extra curricular activities… plus Christmas looming… sometimes it just feels like you don’t have a moment to breathe.

This is the time of year when having a solid freezer stash saves my butt, and this Taco Lasagna recipe is a new make-aheadable obsession that I’m adding to my list.

Also on the list? This White Chicken Lasagna, this Creamy Chicken Spaghetti, and this Sausage Tortellini Soup.

I know it’s a little untraditional.

There’s no gingerbread or cranberries or peppermint candy canes anywhere in sight.

But I know that the majority of you are eating more than candy canes and Pot of Gold chocolates on a daily basis, and this here is about Real Life.

Thankfully, with all the craziness, my kiddos are collapsing into bed in record time, which leaves me a couple of hours in the evening to prep some meals for the week that I can pull out and simply pop in the oven, or bring to any of the holiday parties or potlucks happening that weekend.

This Taco Lasagna comes together quickly, with the help of oven ready lasagna noodles, some jarred salsa and shredded cheese.

There’s no boiling required, which means that I get to feed the family a healthy, homemade meal and still have a little time for myself at the end of the night.

How to make Taco Lasagna:

• This lasagna is made up of layers of oven ready lasagne noodles, taco ground beef, seasoned tomato sauce and salsa, and cheese.
• The hardest part is browning the ground beef and waiting for the veggies to cook, but other than that, this recipe comes together very quickly!
• When you’re layering your lasagna, it might be tempting to try to get 4 lasagna noodles across the bottom of the pan. You can definitely go for it, but I’ve found that when using no boil lasagna noodles they expand considerably in the oven, filling a 9×13″ pan with just 3 across.
• For the tomato sauce, you really don’t want a heavily seasoned pasta or pizza sauce. You’re looking for a basic tomato sauce, essentially tomato puree with a couple basic seasonings. Look for a basic, no salt added can in your grocery store next to the pasta sauces or the canned tomatoes.
• It’s important to cover your lasagna for the first 40-45 minutes as it bakes so that the noodles will cook properly. Because we don’t want all the cheese to stick to the foil, you can either leave it off until you uncover the taco lasagna, or you can lightly grease your foil before covering. I recommend giving it a spray anyway just to be sure nothing sticks!

Variations of this Taco Lasagna recipe:

• Use chicken. You can easily swap the beef for chicken in this recipe to make a Chicken Taco Lasagna!
• Bump up the veggies. When browning the ground beef, you can easily bump up the veggie content by adding shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, finely chopped mushrooms, or really finely chopped or shredded veggies of all sorts. Once the meat is cooked down and smothered in all that sauce, no one is going to know all that goodness you snuck in there.
• Get spicy. Feel free to increase the spice factor if your family is game. You can swap out the cheese for some Monterey Jack with jalapeno, or add some chopped jalapenos to the beef when your browning it.

Tips for making ahead:

You can prepare this lasagna recipe ahead of time, up to the point of baking. Simply cover in plastic wrap, then add a lid or foil (I like to go double duty here to ensure it’s air tight), and refrigerate up to 3 days before baking.

If I’m refrigerating, I like to place the lasagna in the fridge to cool, and then top with the cheese and cover so it doesn’t melt down before it bakes. It’s not really a game changer, just my personal preference.

It’s important to add the water just before baking a refrigerated, unbaked lasagna , then cover with foil and bake. As the lasagna sits in the fridge, it tends to soak up some of the moisture. Adding water will ensure a tender, moist lasagna.

Alternatively, you can prepare and bake, then refrigerate. Simply pour ¼ cup water into the bottom of the pan around the edges (for the same reason as above!) cover with foil and reheat in a 250F oven until warmed through, 20-30 minutes.

How to freeze Taco Lasagna:

To freeze an unbaked taco lasagna, cover tightly in plastic wrap, then cover with the lid or tin foil (for the same reason as above — my Grandma always covered twice before freezing to keep from freezer burn and it’s something I still do!).

Pop it in the freezer with a note on how long and what temperature to bake: 350 degrees F, covered with foil, for 60-80 minutes. The time required will vary greatly depending on how solid your freezer freezes (they are all different!), your exact oven temperature (these are all different too!), and how well the baking dish conducts heat.

If your baking dish is not freezer-to-oven safe, remove the casserole from the freezer 1-2 hours before you wish to bake and let the pan warm slightly.

Alternatively, you can also prepare and bake completely, then cool, cover and freeze. Reheat, covered, at 350 degrees F, for 60-80 minutes or until heated through.

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Taco Lasagna

This Taco Lasagna recipe couldn’t be easier! It’s made with oven ready lasagna noodles, seasoned taco ground beef, salsa and cheese! It’s perfect for weekend meal prep and freezer friendly.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 pieces

Calories 334cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 green pepper finely chopped
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons low sodium taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups tomato sauce plain, no salt added (400ml)
• 1 3/4 cups mild chunky salsa (400ml) or hot
• 12 Catelli Express Lasagne Noodles
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup water
• sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, etc, for serving as desired

Instructions

• In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, green pepper and onion until beef is browned and vegetables have softened (10-15 minutes).
• Add the taco seasoning, garlic and salt and cook 1 minute.
• Stir in the tomato sauce and salsa, and cook over medium-heat for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13″ pan. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan, then top with 3 lasagna noodles. Top with ¼ of the remaining sauce, and 1 cup of cheese. 
• Repeat layers 3 more times for 4 layers total. End with remaining sauce and cheese on top.
• Just before baking, carefully pour ¼ cup water around the edges of the noodles in the pan (not on top of the cheese) — this will help to cook the noodles and keep the lasagna moist! Spray a piece of tin foil with non stick spray and place (spray side down) on the lasagna. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
• Uncover the lasagna and bake 8-10 more minutes, until thickened and bubbly and cheese has browned slightly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

This recipe is pretty mild overall. If you prefer, you can use medium or hot salsa or increase the taco seasoning to be more spicy.

Nutrition

Calories: 334cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 829mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 790IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 2.1mg

The post Taco Lasagna Recipe appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

Here we are in August, and my mind has gone straight to easy dinners for crazy weeknights. Bring on all the quick meal ideas and lunchbox snacks! (Don’t worry — I’m still going to have a few dessert recipes for you throw in there )

When I was pregnant with our first daughter, I made a whole whack of freezer meals. I mean, I had time (with no other children wrapped around my legs), so I just went positively nuts.

I made frozen pizzas, I made casseroles (chicken spaghetti and chili cheese biscuit casserole), I made breakfast burritos and I frozen precooked ground beef, and chicken and rice. I did it all.

The thing is, our first daughter was a dream baby. She was so easy! She slept all the time, particularly for the first 6 or so months of her life. She’d be awake for maybe 45 minutes and then go back down for another 3 hour nap (basically, until I decided it was time for her to wake up and eat something).

So it turns out I had all these freezer meals ready to go, meanwhile I was going crazy with boredom because I had nothing to do. I wasn’t even blogging yet, so I had an actual maternity leave (and although my employer offered to let me take 14 months I chose to go back at 12).

Please no hate mail — I assure you that #2 was the complete opposite, and since I was blogging and did have a 2 year old, it was pure chaos. So I’ve had my share of “what am I possibly going to make for dinner with this baby on my hip?!?” days.

Lasagna roll ups have always been one of my favorite freezer meals. It’s a little different than lasagna, but when you bake them up they are just as good as they would be fresh. You can flash freeze them and then place them in large freezer bags and just pull out a few at a time, and you can really mix them up any which way you want! For us, it’s win-win.

And since baby #3 is on its way (coming November!), I would love to hear what your favorite freezer meals are. This time I’m pretty sure I’m going to need them!

Tips and Tricks for Making these Easy Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups:

• These can easily be made ahead, up to 24 hours. Simply assemble, cover with plastic wrap and bake when needed! See recipe for freezer instructions.
• These can also easily be made a little healthier, here are a few tips:
  • Choose turkey pepperoni
  • Use low fat cheese
  • Bump up the veggies: add mushrooms, peppers, spinach, anything your heart desires!
• These can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and double checking all of your ingredient packages (look carefully for gluten-free pepperoni!).

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Easy Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe

These Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups are an easy, kid friendly meal perfect for back to school! Make ahead, freezer meal and gluten-free options.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 492cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles not oven ready
• 1 cup thinly sliced pepperoni chopped
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce
• fresh basil or parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook lasagna noodles until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain and cover with cold water to cool immediately. Drain and lay out on a clean, lint free kitchen towel.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
• Divide the pepperoni and 1 cup of cheese evenly between the lasagna noodles and roll up as tightly as possible. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and place all rolls on top.
• Spread with remaining pizza sauce and top with remaining cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and hot. Uncover and broil if desired (keep in mind that the edges of your pasta will become crispy). Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 492cal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1213mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

The post Easy Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.